Press Release: Multicultural EXPO 2017

February 7, 2017
For Immediate Release

Multicultural EXPO 2017 is here and it is different. It is with great excitement that we announce that Multicultural EXPO 2017 will take place on Saturday February 18, 2017 from 11:00am-8:00pm at MacDonald Island Park, Nexen Field House here in Fort McMurray. This is a great time to attract diverse cultural and community groups living in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to come together to share their strength, hope and resilience after the wildfire.

The Multicultural EXPO 2017 will bring over 30 cultures groups together under one roof. Come and celebrate our wonderful Multicultural Cuisines, Traditional Crafts, Cultural Music, Performances, Traditional Fashion and Youth Talent Show.

You will get to hear Her Worship Mayor Melissa Blake speak passionately about the community she embraces. “The Multicultural EXPO is Wood Buffalo’s annual celebration of our beautiful diversity,” said Mayor Melissa Blake. “I always look forward to this showcase of great fashion, performances and food from around the globe!”

Furthermore, the EXPO will attract self-acclaimed singer and song writer Paul Woida, an artist with true edge in the music industry. “I have heard great things about this event, this would be my first time to witness the EXPO” said Justine Rukeba, MCA Executive Director. “I truly can’t wait to witness the beauty of multiculturalism in action”

Tickets are $5 for Adults and Free for Children 5 and under.

For more details and updates email

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We Love The Winters Here!

This Saturday October 3, 2015 we have an event called We Love the Winters Here. This event is brought to you by Safe Community Wood Buffalo, YMCA and the Mullticultural Association of Wood Buffalo (MCA).

It is a Free event and experts will present about following crucial topics:

•Winter Car Care •Winter Health •Heating your home •Road Safety •Dressing for Winter •Winter Recreation Free Prizes and Giveaways will be available!!

Event info:

When: Saturday October 3, 2015 1:00PM - 6:00PM

Where: MacDonald Island Park (Fireside Room)

Come out and learn to love winter!

The Religious Diet Resouce was created in order to provide a practical tool for understanding religious dietary practices that helps schools promote acceptance and awareness. This guide was developed by the Fort McMurray Public School District, and the Fort McMurray Catholic School District, the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo, APPLE Schools, and by Alberta Health Services and these partners recognize and value the religious diversity within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and are committed to providing a safe, respectful and equitable environment for all. This resource is intended to help schools recognize and honor some of the dietary practices of our multicultural community. You may print and download this resource. The intended use of this resource is for school staff within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. However, reproduction of this document is not permitted without written consent from the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo. All requests may be submitted to: . If you have any feedback or comments that you would like to share regarding this resource you can send them to the email address above.

Religious Dietary Recources

English

India Film Festival of Alberta (IFFA)

Margarita with a straw: Hindi with English Subtitles 100 minutes

A rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy leaves her home in India to study in New York, unexpectedly falls in love, and embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery. The film made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014 and was also selected in several other film festivals.

Perariyathavar: Malayalam with English Subtitles 110 minutes

This story of a municipal street sweeper and his daily experiences as he moves among the “nameless people” of a big city is a good example of realistic cinema, a staple of the Malayalam industry. The film was screened at several national and international film festivals, and also won the Best Film on Environmental Conservation/Preservation Award at the 61st National Film Awards in India.

Court: Marathi With English Subtitles 120 minutes

Billed as a “realistic court drama”, this film examines the Indian legal system through the lens of the trial of a folk singer accused of sedition in a lower court in Mumbai. The film has won the best film award at international film festivals, as well as the best feature film award at the 62nd National Film Awards of India.

Rock Paper Dice Enter English 91 minutes

A 2014 Canadian thriller, directed by Shreela Chakrabartty. It is the first installment of the reported trilogy. It is based on the 2008 manuscript written by Kash Gauni. The film centers on the fictional American city of Strathaven, where security protocols are breached. Multiple timelines within film along with a diamond heist are suspense element of this film. Nominated for The Rosie Award, Best Dramatic Motion Picture of the year.

Date: August 22, 2015 Time: 12- 10pm Location: Keyano Recital Theatre

Visit the link to purchase your tickets : https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=kethe

The World Meets in Wood Buffalo

As part of the celebrations occurring throughout the province during Alberta Culture Days, The Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo will host “The World Meets in Wood Buffalo” dance showcase at the Shell Place, MacDonald Island Park. This will be yet another great opportunity to engage different cultural groups as part of provincial celebrations. Various groups will be able to display their cultures spread out over the two days. The World Meets in Wood Buffalo will be happening on September 26 & 27 of this year.

Location: Shell Place, SP Grand Ballroom CD Dates: September 26 & 27, 2015 Times: 6:00 – 9:00pm (Sep 26) & 2:00 - 5:00pm (Sept 27)

It will be a trip around the world in two days!

Opening Ceremonies

Different cultural groups will perform as part of the Western Canada Summer Games opening ceremonies. This will be held at Shell Place, MacDonald Island Park on August 7, 2015. Doors will open at 7pm.

Location: Shell Place Time: 7:00 – 10:00pm Date: August 7, 2015

Come out and let us celebrate together!

Volunteers are Stars

Volunteers are our stars! Without our volunteers none of our events would be made possible. To honor them, MCA is hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Night on Saturday August 1, 2015 at 301 Sparrow Hawk Drive (Opposite to Tim Hortons in Eagle Ridge)

Location: 301 Sparrow Hawk Drive (MCA office) Time: 4:30 - 6:30pm Date: August 1, 2015

Come and let us honor our volunteers together!

Multicultural Urban Market

The Multicultural Urban Market will be held at the Jubilee Plaza on Wednesday July 29, 2015. This MCA booth will entail cultural displays, multicultural photo booth, Cree drumming and many more fun activities. There will also be cultural performances between 5 and 6 pm.

Location: Jubilee Plaza Time: 11:30 - 6:30pm Date: July 29, 2015

We hope to see you there!

Multicultural Engagement Meeting July 2015

On July 16, 2015 the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo (MCA) together with the Arts Council Wood Buffalo (ACWB), put on an engagement meeting. Both organizations presented brief reports on past events. There was time allotted for feedbacks and questions about past events. To make the event more interactive, there were couple of ice breakers and prizes.

The Community Hooked Rug project was presented by Liana Wheeldon during the meeting. Some of the attendees were able to hook pieces of fabric on the rug. Lastly, the event was concluded by mentioning upcoming events for both organizations.

Thank you for coming out to our Multicultural Engagement Meeting. The next Multicultural Engagement Meeting will be in October. Keep a close eye on our website and Facebook page to learn more details about upcoming events.

Do you want to show case your culture? Do you enjoy multiculturalism? Become a member and/or volunteer. To sign up go to http://www.multiculturefm.org/get-involved. We look forward to working closely with you to explore your culture in the larger Canadian context.

COMMUNITY GET-TOGETHER AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2015

The Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo hosted a Community Get-together and Annual General Meeting on June 27th, 2015. The event was held at RBC the Stoneycreek branch. Guests started to flock in soon after the doors were opened at 5pm. The guests were led through the registration process then were directed to the refreshments table. Total number of quests was estimated to be more than 40.

The housekeeping announcements were followed by graceful cultural performances. These amazing performances preceded a welcome speech by the board president. Shortly after the Honorable David Yurdiga spoke about the importance of multiculturalism within our region. Two new board members were elected before the conclusion of the event at 7:30pm.

Multitudes of beautiful pictures were taken, volunteers and member groups were recognized for their dedication, delicious snacks with veggie and halal options and refreshments were served, and great discussions took place. Overall, the event was deemed to be very successful.

If you are not a member and would like to be part of the development of a vibrant and equal community, please find below the application form (for individuals and for organizations) or sign up at http://www.multiculturefm.org/get-involved. We look forward to working closely with you to explore your culture in the larger Canadian context.